Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

Does the Minister agree with the welcome comments made by Conor Faughnan with regard to the real concern that existed due to the comments from the National Safety Council about the incidence of accidents involving non-national drivers? Does he agree with Mr. Faughnan that it is premature to comment on this matter as the relevant statistics have not yet been produced? We must be careful not to add to the culture of concern in this country with regard to non-nationals by bringing road accidents into the picture and depicting non-nationals as having a higher incidence of accidents, when the evidence has not been produced and when we cannot, as Mr. Faughnan noted, point the finger at anyone in terms of drink culture. Will the Minister support those comments and express concern about the original comments and how they were reported?

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